Things Fall Apart
by BlaiddDrwg30
Summary: The Doctor's intention to treat Clara to a relaxing and romantic date to 16th Century Italy turns into something else entirely when he instead by accident lands them on a different continent in the middle of a dangerous historical situation. 12th Doctor/Clara romance and adventure story, rated for mature content in later chapters. To be read after 'Speak'.
1. Chapter 1

_"Turning and turning in the widening gyre_

_The falcon cannot hear the falconer; _

_Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; _

_Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, _

_The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere_

_The ceremony of innocence is drowned; _

_The best lack all conviction, while the worst_

_Are full of passionate intensity..." -Yeats_

"Excuse me, you want to take me WHERE?"

He grinned slightly, amused by her exasperation. "The lagoon planet of Nobtox. Fascinating place, that. The fish life there evolved into carnivores, and they eat people! Sort of the opposite of what it's like here."

Clara grimaced. "Um, not really my idea of a date, to be honest."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow at her. "Who said this was a date?"

She crossed her arms. "Doctor. You promised, you PROMISED that you would take me someplace nice after that last fiasco with the rampaging Silurians."

He looked puzzled. "Did I, now? Don't really recall."

His companion stared at him in stony silence.

He finally relented. "I suppose I MAY have mentioned something about a quick trip to Italy or Paris."

"You're such an old codger, you know that?" She was trying hard to keep herself from smiling but it was becoming increasingly hard when faced with the Doctor's mannerisms.

He rolled his eyes. "How can I be _old_ when we look the same age?

She laughed aloud at his orneriness. "We do NOT look even remotely the same age, especially since we both know who the beauty is in this duo."

She half smiled indulgently and turned back to the Tardis controls. "Well, I can't argue with you there."

Smiling, Clara walked over and laid her head gently on his shoulder. She felt him stiffen momentarily before relaxing to her touch. She knew it would still be awhile before he would be completely comfortable with certain types of physical contact. For some reason this incarnation of her beloved Doctor was filled with wariness and trepidation, especially when it came to relationships with others. But she could already tell she was starting to slip through his barriers. She knew it took a great deal of trust for him to confess his feelings for her, and besides; she was patient. She could wait as long as necessary to finally reach the inner sanctum of his heart.

"So when do we leave?" she asked, looking up at him, daring him subconsciously to kiss her.

He cleared his throat. "Right now, if you like. No time like the present, as they say."

She stifled a giggle. "Oh Doctor, who else but you would ever say that?"

A short time later, the Tardis emitted its usual groaning, wheezing sound as it landed. "You're going to love it here, Clara," the Doctor exclaimed as he ran around the console exuberantly, adjusted levers and pulling switches.

"When are we exactly, again?"

"Late 16th Century. Italy. Lovely place. Lots of art, lots of food, lots of interesting people."

She grinned. "A girl could get used to that!"

He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the Tardis doors. She felt the usual spike of exhilaration that she always felt when going to a new place with the Doctor. She didn't think that would ever change.

He threw open the doors with his usual panache and gesturing outside announced, "Clara, I give you..." He stopped in his tracks as he looked outside.

They were in the middle of a clearing that seemed to be surrounded by a vast forest. The huge trees towered over them, throwing shadows across the ground that swayed and danced eerily as the wind shook the branches.

Clara folded her arms. "Doctor, where exactly are we? Correct me if I'm wrong, and I don't think you will need to, but...is this where we're supposed to be?"

The Doctor was flabbergasted. "I...must have missed."

Despite being completely annoyed at the situation, she couldn't help but find the Doctor to be adorable when he was flustered. "Again, you mean. You missed again. Remember that time in Glasgow?"

He glared at her. "Thank you, once again, for stating the obvious."

She grinned cheekily back at him. "You're most welcome!"

"Well," he said scratching his head, "We might as well go and see where we are and what's going on. I'm sure there is something interesting we can find."

She rolled her eyes. "How did I know you were going to say that?"

He boldly strolled out of the Tardis, followed closely behind by his companion. He took a moment to turn in a circle, glancing at the surroundings. Suddenly he pointed to the right. "There!" he exclaimed.

"There, what?" Clara asked, mystified.

"There is a path through the woods! Don't you see it?"

She squinted. "I guess that looks like a path?"

He sighed and shook his head, murmuring something that sounded a lot like 'pudding-head' before setting off in the direction of the trail. Right as they reached the clearing the Doctor held up a hand, halting Clara behind him.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Someone's coming," he said seriously.

She looked up, heart beginning to race, as she heard the brush ahead of them start to rustle with movement...

~To be continued


	2. Chapter 2

_**Tried to crank out the next chapter as quickly as possible for you guys. Figured we could all use a nice 12th Doctor/Clara pick-me-up after the emotional wreckage of 'Kill the Moon', am I right? :P I just love these two together; his grumpiness and her sassiness just always seems to make me smile. :) Thanks so much for reading my story! I appreciate it more than I can say! I hope everyone enjoys reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Thanks again!**_

The Doctor put a hand up in front of Clara, as if to shield her from whatever was in the woods ahead of them.

Even though they both knew she was quite capable of taking care of herself, she found the gesture to be quite touching.

A figure stepped out from the trees, and Clara let out a breath of relief when she saw it was only a man. He had shoulder length brown hair, and was dressed in an outfit that looked like something a pilgrim would wear. She wondered, not for the first time, when and where they had landed.

The man stopped in his tracks when he saw the Doctor and Clara, his mouth gaping open like a fish out of water.

"You'll catch flies if you keep it open like that," the Doctor said wryly.

Clara elbowed him, and he cleared his throat. "Lovely day we're having, isn't it?"

The man looked back at them warily. "Who are you? You're not one of the villagers, I would recognize you if you were. So where did you come from?"

"What village is that, the one that you mentioned?" the Doctor asked, bypassing the man's question completely.

The stranger shifted his stance, still unsure of what he was dealing with. "You're in Dare County, and the colony to which I was referring is the only English settlement in the new world. This is the colony of Roanoke."

Clara felt the blood drain out of her face as the realization hit her. _Oh my god_, she thought. _Oh my god, we're in America? In Roanoke?_ Speechless, she struggled to get a hold of herself.

The Doctor had recovered much quicker. "Ah," he said. "Yes, Roanoke. Wonderful settlement. Dare County. Yes, very lovely. We're actually from the _first_ colony that was settled here, before you arrived."

The man's eyes narrowed. "I was under the impression that there were no people left from that colony. The ones who survived already integrated into our village."

The Doctor shrugged. "We left the village looking for help and must have lost our way. In the meantime, your group must have arrived."

This seemed a poor excuse and Clara was sure the man would see right through it. She held her breath as he continued to stare at them both.

Suddenly the man grinned, and Clara felt the usual rush of relief that usually accompanied one of the Doctor's stories that passed inspection.

He walked over to them, holding out his hand in greeting. "I apologize for my rudeness, but one can't be too sure in these troubled times. We've been having some issues with the natives, you see."

The Doctor nodded as if he knew exactly what the man was talking about. "Ah yes, he began. "The natives. Troublesome lot, that. I'm the Doctor and this is Clara."

He shook both of their hands. "Nice to meet you both. My name is Thomas Harriet."

"Oh!" Clara exclaimed as she saw the parchment he was holding. "Did you draw that, Mr. Harriet?"

It was a beautiful sketch of a maple tree, so detailed you could see every piece of bark and every vein on each leaf.

He looked embarrassed. "I did indeed draw it, Miss Clara. I'm not much of an artist, but I do enjoy sketching things from time to time."

"Do you think we could follow you back into the village," the Doctor interrupted. "We've been lost for a while and could use some rest."

Thomas looked chagrined. "Oh yes, of course, how very rude of me. Please, allow me to lead you back to Roanoke." He turned back in the opposite direction and began to walk back in that direction. "Is there anyone else left at your old settlement?" he called back over his shoulder.

The Doctor looked at Clara before responding, "No, it's just me and my companion. We're alone."

It was about a ten minute walk through the woods to get to the village. Thomas was quiet as they traipsed through the forest growth, occasionally pausing to make a quick jot or doodle on his parchment. The Doctor was silent as well, looking straight ahead determinedly as he walked, his thoughts hidden by the impassivity of his face. Clara was enjoying the quiet. The air smelled so _fresh_ and the greens and yellows of the woods were vibrant and beautiful.

When they reached the end of the forest they came out into a medium sized clearing with a small collection of thatched covered houses and other buildings. Some goats, hens, and pigs shuffled about in pens while various townspeople preformed various chores. A few of them stopped what they were doing to wave to Thomas or openly gawk at the Doctor and Clara. _We're going to need to change into something more period appropriate and soon_, she thought. _Before we really start attracting unwanted attention_!

The Doctor didn't appear to have any similar misgivings. She gazed at everything and everyone with intense interest. It was sort of embarrassing really, if she thought about it too much. _Some people you just can't take anywhere_, she thought, bemused.

"Here we are!", Thomas proclaimed proudly. "The community of Roanoke. We've got about a hundred and eighteen villagers, not including yourselves of course. You'll need lodging, until we can get you proper accommodations. I have a spare room with an extra bed in my cottage that you are welcome to use."

"Ah...one bed?" Clara asked tentatively.

Thomas looked confused, "Well, yes. I assume you two are married, so one room should be sufficient?"

Clara was flabbergasted. She hadn't even thought that far ahead to wonder what these people might think of her relationship with the Doctor. Which was a huge oversight, in her opinion, since _of course_ they would assume that a woman traveling with a male would be her husband. She flushed scarlet.

The Doctor must have reached the same conclusion because he nodded in affirmation and said, "Thank you for your hospitality. Yes indeed we would be happy with one bed." He reached over and pulled Clara against him, squeezing her arm.

She could feel her heart beating wildly as she struggled to keep her emotions in check as she was pressed up against his long lean body. Unable to speak she nodded.

If Thomas noticed anything unusual about her behavior he didn't mention it. He simply nodded and continued walking through what was presumably the town square in the direction of his house.

The Doctor continued to stand in place, his arm firmly around Clara's shoulder. She risked a look at him and her breath caught at the intense unfathomable look in his eyes as he stared down at her.

"Well, _wife Clara_," he said, "shall we?"

He loosened his grip on his companion and followed after Thomas, leaving a very aroused, yet very confused Clara in his wake, wondering what in the hell she had gotten herself into now.

~*~To be continued


	3. Chapter 3

**~*~I would like very much to dedicate this next chapter (and all subsequent chapters, really) to YOU guys who are reading it and enjoying it so much. For all of you taking the time to read/favorite/or follow my stories...THANK YOU! It means the world to me to be able to share my love of these characters with you all! So again, thanks so much for reading! Hope you guys love it! I certaintly love writing it! ;) ~*~**

Despite being slightly embarrassed with the knowledge that the entire town was going to assume that her and the Doctor were married, she couldn't help but bask in the fact that they were in fact, strolling through the town together. In many _okay, most_ she thought, situations with the Doctor, they weren't necessarily walking, it was more of a sprinting-away-from-danger sort of thing, so it wasn't too surprising that Clara found this change of pace refreshing. Her heart always seemed to be racing, when she was with the Doctor, and it was because more often than not they were embroiled in some sort of dangerous situation. But now, strolling peacefully through the quaint town in the countryside, she found her heart was still racing. _But this time_, she thought smiling to herself, _it's from the company rather than the circumstances_.

She sneaked a peek at the Doctor as they walked. His strummed his fingers against his chest as he walked slowly, taking in every detail of the town and its people. She could tell he wanted to pull out his sonic screwdriver and take measurements and start analyzing things but didn't want to disturb the locals with his alien technology. On an impulse she reached over and took his hand in hers, threading their fingers together. He looked over at her in surprise, then offered her a rare soft smile.

Clara felt the brilliance of the moment wash over her. _I don't even care that we didn't end up in Renaissance Italy_, she thought blissfully, _as long as I get to spend my time with the Doctor, I am perfectly happy_. Ever since that horrendous last date with Danny Pink and she and the Doctor had _sort of_ confessed that they cared for one another, she felt as if she were walking around in her own little personal bubble of joy. She had her normal life; with teaching and school and staff meetings, and she had what she thought of as her _real_ life, which consisted of adventuring with the Doctor. It wasn't hard to figure out which aspect of her life she enjoyed more.

The grass crunched noisily under their feet as they followed Thomas through the town. A slight breeze ruffled the soft tendrils of Clara's hair and she reveled in the clean and refreshing scent of air from 500 years into the past.

"Isn't this great?" she asked the Doctor. "No cars, no pollution, no telly." She looked thoughtful. "Well, actually, nix that. I may miss the telly in a few days after all this quiet. Doctor?" she realized he was only half paying attention.

"Yes," he murmured softly. "It _is_ quiet. _Too_ quiet." He gestured with his other hand. "Tell me, Clara, what do you see?"

She looked around as nonchalantly as she could. There were a few people out and about, but for the most part it was almost deserted. There were a few scrawny chickens that moved about listlessly in their pens. A lone cow stood within a fenced enclosure, while a young man attempted to coax it over to a feeding trough. A woman was sweeping up stray leaves from one of the yards, and when the Doctor and Clara got closer to her she gazed at them with quiet resignation.

Her joyful mood of a few moments ago chilled. "They seem..." Clara struggled to put it into words, the feeling that seemed to seep from the town. "They seem like they've given up somehow. Almost as if they don't have any hope left."

"Yes," the Doctor agreed. "But why?"

She looked at him. "I don't know. What's going to happen to them, Doctor?"

He didn't answer, but his grip on her hand tightened.

Thomas led them to a small thatched cottage on the other side of the town. It was a quaint little place, with a wooden fence around the property and some plants in front that made it look quite homey. He stopped in front of it and turned back around, facing the Doctor and Clara almost shyly. "It's not much," he told them. "But it's home. At least for now."

"It's beautiful!" Clara said. And really, it was. For a group of people who were just starting over in a brand new place, they were doing quite well.

"Your property is the closest one to the forest," the Doctor stated bluntly.

Thomas looked confused. "Well, yes, it is. My work keeps me going back and forth into the forest anyway, so it made the most sense for me to be the one to live on the edge of the colony."

The Doctor didn't respond, just nodded once and continued to look around.

"Oh, you mean your work at sketching?" Clara said, in an attempt to draw the man's attention away from the Doctor's blatant rudeness.

Thomas smiled. "Yes, that, and other things. I'm not just an artist, you know. I'm also working on a written historical account of our voyage here from England. I imagine the Queen and Sir Raleigh and everyone back home will be most anxious to see how we have fared since landing here."

Clara smiled. "I'm sure they will be."

"Well," he opened the door and led them inside. "Let me show you around my home."

After a brief tour of the house, Thomas had walked the two travelers to the room in which they would be staying. Once inside, he had left them to give them a chance to get settled, closing the door softly behind him as he left.

The sudden silence in the room somehow seemed as loud as a roar.

All in all, Clara found herself readily impressed. The accommodations were bare and simple, yet comfortable. The room in which they would be staying was small, yet cozy, with a window that looked out to the woods behind the house. There was a simple rug across the floor and a little wooden table littered with parchment and a few ink quills. The single bed stood against the other wall and to Clara it seemed she couldn't quite focus on anything else.

On bed, two of them.

And it was a _small_ bed.

Her pulse jumped wildly up into her throat and almost seemed to choke her. It was hard to discern if it was overwhelming anticipation or overwhelming terror. What would she do when she _finally_ got the Doctor into bed? He had a thousand years of experience...how in the world could she ever match up to that? She cast a glace over at him, as he stood staring at the window.

"Clara," he started, his low clear voice piercing the silence like a shotgun blast.

"Ah, yes?" She was feeling so lighthearted she thought it was very possible that she might pass out. _And wouldn't that be bloody brilliant_, she thought wildly, _I finally get the Doctor alone in a room with a single bed and my best reaction is to fall over on my face._

"How is your knowledge of American History?"

_Okay, clearly not the question I was expecting. _She cleared her throat. "Well, I'm an English teacher, not a History teacher, if you recall, but I do know my fair share of history as well."

"Excellent!" He spun around so quickly Clara jumped back a step in alarm.

He pointed a finger at her and continued, "We are in America, specifically in what will be known in the future as North Carolina and it is the year 1590. What do you have to say about that?"

She furrowed her brow as she thought it over. "That year...it's ringing all kinds of alarm bells in my head. I've been thinking about it since Thomas first told us when and where we were. But I can't..." She shook her head in frustration. "I'm sorry, Doctor. It's just not coming to me."

He tsked in disapproval. "Oh, Clara, Clara."

She crossed her arms moodily and glared at him. "Well, **excuse me**, Mr. Impressive Time Lord person, we can't all be as important and all-knowing as you."

He shrugged. "It's quite alright. No one's perfect."

She rolled her eyes.

"In any case," he continued, "This is the colony, part of the _first_ colony that arrived in America from England.

"Right," Clara said. "Thomas established that for us already."

"Aha!" He raised his finger to his lips. "But being the first colony in America is NOT in fact what they are famous for. And do you know what they are famous for?"

She shook her head slowly.

"Disappearing!"

He said it so exuberantly that Clara had trouble processing it for a minute. And then it hit her all at once. "Of course!" she said, "I remember that, vaguely. The whole colony vanished without a trace, right?"

He nodded. "When the mayor of the colony, John White, returned here on August 15th of this year, he found no signs of anyone. No bodies, no sign of a struggle, the only thing he found was the word 'Croatoan' carved onto one of the trees."

"And that meant?"

"

No one knows. It's a historical mystery that has never been solved. Countless historians and experts have formulated theories and ideas but no one ever found out any concrete proof of what happened." He grinned widely. "And now here we are to solve it!"

"I can't imagine how this is so very exciting to you, Doctor."

"Think of it, Clara!" He spun in a circle, gesticulating wildly. "We will be the first ones to ever know the truth! I must say, this is one of those conundrums I have always been quite eager to solve, and just never got around to it. And now! Now, the Tardis has brought us here for this very reason! See? You can't get a more exciting date than this!"

Suddenly tired, Clara rubbed her temple to dispel the beginning of a headache. "Oh sure. A trip to a disappearing colony is just what I've always dreamed up as a perfect date."

He winked at her. "Lucky for you that you're with me then, isn't it?"

Despite the sudden change in mood she couldn't help but grin at him. Somehow the Doctor always seemed to bring out the best in her. "So the whole colony just up and vanishes on August 15th, 1590. And what's the date now?"

He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and raised it above his head, the green tip illuminating and whirring softly. "August 8th."

She groaned. "You've got to be kidding me."

If anything, his grin widened even further. "Yes. We have exactly one week to figure out what is going to happen to the colony."

"Or else we vanish with them, you mean."

He shrugged, dismissing her tone. "Most likely, yes."

Clara felt a bubble of laughter rise up. "Brilliant. Nothing like working under pressure."

He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. "I know you're up to the challenge, Impossible Girl."

Her heart gave a little flutter.

He clapped his hand together. "First things first. We can nip back to the Tardis tomorrow morning and get some change of clothes. For now what we have will have to suffice. But! More importantly I need to record some data, and we'll have to wait until dark so we can wander around without attracting any suspicion. I normally wouldn't care, but these people look edgy already and we don't want to do anything to set them off."

Clara nodded. "So we wait until it gets dark and then we'll go out and start checking it out?"

"Yes," he said looking at the bed. "We might as well get a few hours of rest since we'll probably be up most of the night, investigating."

Her eyes followed his gaze to the bed and she felt a shiver of excitement race across her spine. "And what will be investigating, Doctor?"

He turned to her, exasperated, "I thought we already discussed..." his voice trailed off as he caught the intensity of her stare. "Oh, Ah..."

She stepped forward and wrapped her hands around his neck, pulling his face down towards hers. Acting on instinct, without even thinking about it he gripped her arms and moved her even closer so she was leaning up against his chest. She softly pressed her lips against his and teased her tongue into his mouth. She felt a shudder run through him and he groaned softly into her mouth as his grip on her tightened. Emboldened by his response, she slid her hands down his back, reveling in the lean harness of his body.

They had gotten this far before, before something always seemed to interrupt them. But this time...This time they were alone. And this time...

As if sensing her thoughts he pulled away, leaving her bewildered at the sudden loss of touch.

"You can have the bed," he said without looking at her. "I'll take the floor."

Her face flushed with righteous indignation. "Doctor!"

He continued on as if he hadn't heard her, walking towards the other side of the bed. "I'll wake you in a few hours. Get some rest."

She stood there silently for a moment while the shock of what had happened slowly washed over her. What in the hell had happened? Finally she laid down on the bed, facing the window, away from the Doctor. It was awhile before she could finally fall asleep, worrying thoughts about what she had done wrong swirled and tumbled about her mind before she fell into an uneasy slumber.

The Doctor lay uncomfortably on the floor next to the bed, his hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling, his thoughts dark and stormy.

He didn't sleep at all

~*~ To be continued


	4. Chapter 4

Another chapter I would like to dedicate to all the people who read and enjoy this story! Love you guys, thanks so much for taking the time to read this! You're the best! :)

There were quite a few things that Clara would rather be doing with the Doctor in the middle of the night, but prowling through the streets in colonial America in the pitch dark was not what she had in mind.

It had taken forever for her to finally fall asleep and then seemed like she had only been asleep for a few minutes before the Doctor woke her back up. Her thoughts had been troubled, and it was more than the mystery of Roanoke that was bothering her. Why had the Doctor pushed her away? She knew the way he felt about her, he had all but admitted it only a few weeks ago. Didn't he want her? She smiled to herself ruefully as she thought of the way she had practically thrown herself at him. She had always been especially flirty with the Doctor, that was just her way. And she loved the way he would get flustered and embarrassed when she threw a flippant comment at him or when she came on strong. But to just turn completely cold on her the way that he did? That was very much unlike him.

She crossed her arms against her chest in an attempt to warm herself up a bit. She had left her jumper back in the room in the rush to leave after the Doctor woke her from her restless slumber. She was regretting it now, in the cool night air. The moon was out; a pale white slice illuminating the tops of the trees and houses, and the Doctor's silvery hair. He had been quiet so far, which was also unlike him, although she could tell he was pleased with finally being able to use his sonic screwdriver again. All throughout dinner he had kept tapping his fingers against his leg, driving her crazy until she finally reached over under the table and intertwined her fingers with his. He had looked at her, briefly surprised, before giving her one of his rare smiles.

He held the screwdriver over his head, pointing straight up to the night sky. The slight hum and green glow was comforting to her as was seeing the excited light in his eyes. Despite their earlier stumbling's and confused emotional roadblock, Clara was happy.

Happy to be on another adventure with the Doctor.

Happy to be by his side.

"Well that is very interesting," he said, breaking the silence.

"What is?"

"And clever," he continued, seemingly ignoring her. "Very clever."

"Doctor!" She whispered fiercely.

"Ah, sorry," he said turning to face her. "I have determined that there is something going on that is both interesting and clever."

"Yeah," she said dryly, "we've done that bit."

"Do you remember when Thomas informed us that the Natives here, the Indians as they were called in this place and time, originally they had conflicts with them, correct?"

Clara nodded, thinking over the conversation that had occurred over dinner earlier in the evening. "Thomas seemed...perplexed because well, it had been a few weeks since anyone had been bothered by them. Which was odd in and of itself, since before then not even a day would go by without coming into contact with them."

"Yes! And what does that tell us?"

"I...honestly don't know."

He threw up his hands in exasperation. "It tells us, Clara, that something or _someone_ is keeping them out."

"Of course," she said while stifling a giggle. "Why didn't I think of that?"

He inspected the end of the sonic screwdriver. "The readings are most accurate."

"And what do they say?"

He snapped the screwdriver shut and looked at her, a wicked grin on his face. "There is a force field around this town. From what I can gather it stretches for about three miles around the perimeter of the village; the village being the central point."

"Wait." She held up a hand to stop him. "If there's a force field, how did _we_ manage to get in?"

"The stabilizer generator has an axle that allows for force field penetration. Especially when we're moving at an accelerated pace." He gave her a look that seemed to indicate he was questioning her level of intelligence.

"Yeah, I just bet you know all about penetration," she said under her breath.

"What was that?" he queried.

"Oh, nothing," she said innocently.

"Anyway," he continued, I would imagine that the reason no one has realized anything is amiss is because they've been too afraid of an Indian attack and are staying pretty close to home. Three miles is still a pretty big area, I suppose they can get most of their hunting and gathering done within that section." He let out a bark of laughter. "Imagine their surprise if one of them were to walk into it! They'd bounce right off it!"

"But who would do this? And why?"

"The _who_ is not the question. That's easy, I've already figured out that bit. But the _why_?" He shrugged. "That's the question, and right now I'm not too sure. Good for the town that we're here to figure it out!"

"Well," she asked impatiently. "Who is it then?"

He leaned over so that his face was right next to hers. She could feel the warmth of his body radiating off of him. It was very difficult to resist the urge to kiss him.

His voice was low, eager with the possibility of excitement and danger. It's our old friends from underneath the ground."

Her eyes widened. "You mean..."

He nodded. "Oh yes. What we're dealing with here is Silurians!"

~*~To be continued


	5. Chapter 5

Clara gaped at the Doctor incredulously. "Silurians? Here? Now?"

He looked around them at the empty street before turning back to her with an amused expression on his face. "Clara, do you see them here _now_?"

She glared at him. "Well, I obviously didn't mean right this second! But they're here? You mean that they're the ones who put up that shield thingy?"

"Forcefield, Clara. It's a forcefield."

She rolled her eyes. "Right. Of course.

He nodded. "Yes, they put it up."

"Okay, so we figured out _who_ did it, but _why_ did they do it?"

"Ah. Well, yes. That is the question, now isn't it?"

She folded her arms and looked at him expectantly.

"I didn't say I had an _answer_ to the question, just that that was the _question_.

She smiled at him.

He continued, "So the next course of action is to discover what our scaly friends are up to. More specifically, why they are getting involved with these people and this community? I don't think it is a coincidence that we arrive in a place that is about to become a major historical landmark and discover it being tampered with by a prehistoric reptilian race. We need to get to the bottom of this."

"And how do you propose we do that?"

He grinned back at her. "By tracing the signal back to its source. That should lead us right to them."

"What, underground?"

He nodded. "If I can find the entrance to their tunnels we might be able to communicate with them and see what the purpose of their interferance is."

"Doctor that's brilliant!" Clara exclaimed and without even thinking about it she jumped in his arms for a hug, not even thinking about the fact that he was not a hugging person any longer. She rememebered about a half second after she was in his arms, and half expected him to gently but firmly set her down and give her one of _those_ looks. The _don't do that again_ look. The one he was so good at giving, especially to her.

But he didn't do either of those things.

What he did do was spin her around once and when her feet touched the ground and she expected him to release her, he didn't.

He held her even tighter.

She relaxed her body into his, completely surrendering to the comfort of being so close to him, forgetting the tension that had been thrumming between them, forgetting the confusion she had felt when he had pulled away from her earlier in the night; she focused solely on the warm steady pressure of his body and how good it felt to be in his arms.

"Oh Clara," he said softly, so softly she almost didn't hear it. "My Clara."

Her breath caught in her throat. How long had it been since he had called her that? Not since he had regenerated, surely. She let out her breath slowly, sighing contently into his chest. She didn't want to bring it up and ruin the moment, but her personality wouldn't allow her to leave it alone.

"Why, Doctor?" she said softly. "Why do you keep pulling away from me?"

He chortled and she felt the tickle of his breathe in her hair. "Does _this _feel like I'm pulling away?" he asked.

This time she was the one who pulled away, but only so she could look him in the eye.

"I mean it, Doctor," she said seriously. "I'm not mucking about right now. I need you to tell me what's going on with you. With _us_."

He sighed, a long drawn out sound and looked up, turning his gaze to the starry heavens. "I can't," he replied softly.

She narrowed her eyes. "Can't or won't, Doctor?"

He looked back down to her. "Well, Clara, if you're going to argue semantics, then yes. I _won't_ tell you."

"But...why?" Despite her best effort to remain impassive she felt her eyes begin to well up. She hated herself for it, but felt compelled to continue questioning him until she got a solid answer. "It wasn't so long ago that you told me you...cared for me."

"That was a mistake," he said bluntly. "I shouldn't have said that to you." He laughed contemptuously. "I shouldn't even be doing this right now. Yet here I am, once again, doing it."

"Doing what," she asked. "Arguing? Or do you mean being a huge Time Lord prat?"

"No!" he practically yelled. "This...proximity to you. This closenes. It's...I can hardly bear it, Clara."

"What?" She wrinkled her nose. "Am I that disgusting to you? Is being with me or the thought of being with me so awful that you can't even..."

"You don't understand anything, you silly little fool!" he thundered at her.

"Then **EXPLAIN** it to me, Doctor, please just explain what in the hell is going on!"

He opened his mouth to reply and was cut off by a loud scream in the distance. All traces of their disagreement forgotten, he turned around quickly and ran off towards the direction of the scream.

"Clara, are you coming or not?" he yelled over his shoulder when he noticed she wasn't behind him.

She pinched the bridge of her nose, closed her eyes and let out a long-suffering sigh. _Just once, _she thought, _I swear I am going to have a conversation with that man without something interrupting us. _

She followed after him, into the night.

~*~ To be continued


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi guys! Thanks again so much for taking the time to read this little fic! Sorry for the shortness of this chapter, but worry not! The next chapter is pretty lengthy and should be up and running within the next day or two. Love you guys!**

Being used to a world in the twenty first Century where there was a constant presence of artificial light no matter what time of night or day, it was disconcerting to Clara to find herself running through a small village in the middle of the night with nothing to help her see where she was going. She followed the sound of the Doctor's footsteps as they fell on the dirt road ahead of her, wishing she had a better way to see.

As if hearing her thoughts, the Doctor switched on his sonic screwdriver and held it in front of him as he ran.

She followed the green glow as they ran in between the houses, the light causing shadows to dance eerily against the thatched surfaces.

There was a small crowd of confused and slightly panicked looking people gathering outside one of the houses in the middle of the town. The people parted, allowing the Doctor and Clara through as they approached the house, which had fallen silent. The low murmur of peoples voices and the lights swinging on their lanterns was starting to give Clara vertigo.

Looking around she spotted Thomas among the throng of people and made her way over to him. "What's going on?" she whispered.

He looked grim. "Don't rightly know, so I can't say. What I _can_ say however, is that poor Jane Mannery has had quite a fright." He gestured to the middle aged lady sitting in the middle of a small patch of grass near the road. A young man was kneeling beside her. Seeing her curious gaze he said, "That's Roger Barilie, the acting governor of the colony.

"Ah, yes," said the Doctor interestedly. He had approached the two of them so silently that the sudden sound of his loud and clear voice almost made her jump. "Your actual governor, Mr. John White, has gone back to England to seek further assistance for his precious colony here, is that right?"

Thomas looked at him. "Yes, Doctor, that's correct."

The Doctor walked away from them both and strolled casually over to the distraught woman and Clara was once again impressed with how easily he was able to take control of a situation. "Miss...Mannery, is it?" he asked.

She looked up at him and nodded.

The man with her looked confused. "Excuse me, Sir. Who are you?"

The Doctor looked at him and gave him his least menacing smile. "I'm the Doctor. And I'm here to fix your...problem. You're Mister Barilie, right?"

He nodded warily. "That's right."

He patted his shoulder. "Not to worry, not anymore. I'm here and I'm what you would call an expert in such manners."

The Doctor turned back to the woman. "Miss Mannery. Would you mind telling me what happened?"

She nodded, still looking shaky. "I had been sleeping, most deeply, mind. But I was roused when I heard a loud clatter down the hall. I figured it was just a critter that had somehow gotten in the house but I put on my dressing robe and when I went to see what it was..."

"What did you see, Jane?" the Doctor asked, his voice low and almost hypnotic.

"It was...a demon! It had to be a demon!"

"What did it look like?" he insisted? "Specifically?"

Her voice had reached a shrill pitch "It was tall and green! It had scales and dark eyes, and oh Doctor! Was it a demon? Why didn't it harm me? As soon as I started screaming it ran."

The Doctor stood up, brushing off his coat. "If it's any consolation, it wasn't a demon. It was something far far older."

Jane Mannery and Roger Barilie did not look reassured.

Nor did the rest of the crowd. Clara looked around uneasily.

The Doctor walked up to Clara and held out his hand for her to take. "We're done here, Clara. Let's go, we've got work to do."

She took his hand and followed him back to the house where they were staying, the gazes of the crowd boring into the back of her head.

~*~ To be continued


	7. Chapter 7

**This is for YOU, dear reader! Thanks so much for taking the time to read my stories! Hope you enjoy it! :) **

The room was dark as they had extinguished all the candles when they left the room earlier in a hurry. The moon cast enough light through the window that Clara could make out the objects in the room, but just barely. The Doctor's lean form caught glimmers of moonlight as he paced back and forth the small area.

"First thing tomorrow morning we need to follow the energy trail and locate the Silurian's base of operation."

Clara nodded in a distracted way.

The Doctor continued, "They must have some sort of agenda, but what? What purpose could they have for harassing this little town and these people? Silurians usually keep to themselves, unless of course they're disturbed, but the people of this colony don't have to means for deep drilling or any other such thing that would disturb them. It doesn't make sense!" He ran his hands angrily through his silver hair.

"Doctor," Clara said softly.

He looked up at her. "What is it?"

She took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice from stammering. "We need to have a talk, you and I."

He stared at her for a minute before turning his back on her and heading towards the bed. "It's been a long day, Clara. And an even longer night. We should get some rest."

"Oh no you don't," she said firmly. "Don't play the simpleton with me, Doctor, I know you better than that."

He sat on the bed and continued talking, completely ignoring what she was saying. "Maybe instead of resting I could go back over to Jane's house and take some more readings. Gather some more information before morning."

"Nope," she quipped. "Don't think so. I've tried being nice. I've tried to be understanding. But it's not working. So the bossy control freak Clara is stepping in and is here to inform you that you are _not_ leaving this room until you tell me what's going on.

"Do you really think you could stop me if I tried to leave this room right now?"

She glared at him mutely, her arms folded across her chest.

He swallowed loudly. "Okay, ah, yes. Actually, I see now that yes, you could."

"What did you mean earlier," she said gently. "What did you mean when you said you couldn't bear to be close to me?"

He leaned up against the wall next to the window and just stared at her.

Clara intuited that she would have to tread carefully. Their relationship was teetering on a precipice. And a move in either direction could cause drastic and possibly irreversible changes.

But it was up to her which move was made. She was in control.

She walked up to him slowly, carefully, approaching him cautiously as one would approach a tiger. She stopped about a foot away from him. She watched his body tense up, he was as tight as a bowstring. Any slight pressure or sharp edge could cause him to snap. Her heart was pounding as she couldn't decide if she wanted to calm him down or keep pushing him to the very brink of what he could handle just to see what would happen. She reached out a hand and leaned forward to stroke his face.

"Does this hurt you, Doctor?" she said. "Does it hurt when I touch you?" She ran two fingers down from his temple to his cheek.

With a suddenness that startled her, he grabbed her wrist, stopping her hand mid-motion. "It doesn't hurt me, Clara." He clenched his jaw. "But being close to you...makes things very difficult for me."

"Difficult?" she asked.

"Yes, difficult," he snapped. "You're distracting to me. Despite assurances otherwise, I'm only human."

She stared at him.

"Wait...that's not quite right, is it? I'm not a pudding-brained human. But I _am_ a man." His gaze intensified. "And when I look at you...when when I'm _close_ to you...I know I should leave you alone, but I just...can't."

She couldn't stand the anguish in his voice. She had never heard it before and it terrified her. "Well, why in the world would you think I would even _want_ you to leave me alone?"

He slammed a fist against the wall. "Don't you see that it doesn't matter what you want or even what I want! I am trying to do what's _right_. For you!"

"You don't have the right to make those types of decisions for me, Doctor," she replied.

"Am I a good man?" he continued on as if not even hearing her. "I asked you that once, and I'll ask it again; am I a good man, Clara?"

Silence hung thick and heavy in the air between them.

"My answer is the same, Doctor." she said. "I honestly don't know. But I do know that you try to be...and that's really all that matters. At least to me."

"You deserve better." He said it so quietly that Clara almost didn't hear him. "I planned on spending this regeneration righting all the wrongs I have borne witness to, in my many lifetimes." His eyes seemed so sad and so lost, and it took all of her strength to not comfort him.

She took a few steps back, unconsciously putting distance between the two of them. "So what are you saying...that you think you don't deserve me? What nonsense is this?"

"Not just that, Clara," he said. "I didn't plan on this. I thought that once I regenerated our relationship..."

"Our relationship what?" she asked, anger rising up in her like a storm. "You just thought our relationship would fizzle out since you regenerated? That I would just automatically stop caring about you, wanting you? For over twelve hundred years of traveling through time and space you sure do have an ass-backwards views on women."

He opened his mouth to spout out a quick-witted retort but couldn't think of one fast enough. His mouth closed with an audible snap.

Clara laughed at his expression. "Oh Doctor, you are absolute rubbish on your own. And this is exactly the reason why. As clever as you are, and as experienced as you are, you can be so terribly naive sometimes. " She couldn't help it, she couldn't stop laughing.

"Amusing, am I?" he asked her wryly.

"Your problem is that you think too much."

"How in the world can one _think_ too much?"

She laughed. "I have no idea, but you certainly do. You overthink things and there are times you just have to go with your gut instinct." She laid her hand against his chest. "You have two bloody hearts, Doctor. Try using _them_ instead of analyzing every little thing."

"Okay, fine. "I overthink things. But you know what else?"

"What?"

He stalked toward her, and his sudden movement had her stumbling backwards in surprise. He reached out and grabbed her, pulling her to his chest abruptly. "You _talk_ too much," he told her roughly.

Before she could protest, he pressed his lips against hers. For no more than an instant, she hesitated; then her mouth opened to his and her arms slipped around his neck.

Spice and heat and desire. Passion denied for months and months erupted between them.

His mouth was crushed against hers. Their tongues met and stroked; demanding and insistent. She could feel both his hearts beating against hers even through the layers of clothing between them. She clung to him and explored him in a brutal clash of tongue and teeth and lips. Her breath mingled with his. Her body molded against his, and she found that all she'd ever wanted was hers for the taking and his for the giving.

The Doctor wrenched his lips from hers and ran his mouth along the line of her jaw and down the side of her neck. Desire flared within her as she tilted her head back and moaned. Her hands fisted in his shirt and he tightened his arms around her.

She gasped, "You were wrong, Doctor."

"I'm never wrong," he murmured against her neck.

"You made me believe that you didn't care for me, with the way you've been acting lately." She could barely get the words out. "But in actuality..."

"Yes, in actuality," he conceded. "And once again, you're talking too much."

She could feel his lips curled into a smile against her neck.

He slipped a hand underneath her shirt and he grew lightheaded at the feel of his touch on her bare skin. Her flesh pebbled in the exposed air. It spiked in her a need for more contact. She started to unbutton her shirt but in her haste fumbled with her fingers. With a growl he pulled it out of her hands and ripped it open, pulling it off of her and tossing it to the floor.

"Doctor!" she cried out as he lowered his head and covered one of her breasts with his mouth, his other hand working at her other nipple with deft fingers. Tremors of delight rippled down her spine as he slid his hands down her body and gripped her sides, his fingers digging into her flesh in an way that hovered right between pleasure and pain.

More, she had to have more.

As if hearing her thoughts he ran a knuckle lightly across the top of her knickers. She whimpered in response, her eyes closing of their own accord at the caress. It was as light as a feather. With an agonizing slowness he pulled them aside and slid two fingers across her slick heat. He grabbed her knickers and pulled them down her pale thighs so she was clad only in her bra and skirt. Her whole body seemed to pulse and throb like some kind of dark star.

If she didn't get him inside of her immediately she thought she would die.

Without even thinking about it on a coherent level she took a few steps back, gripping his arms and pulling him with her until she felt her back hit the wall. His eyes were bright, fathomless pools, and Clara could see a multitude of emotions flicker across them before she pulled him into another kiss, biting his lower lip and eliciting a throaty groan from him. She ran her hands down his chest, reveling in his lean and tawny body. She reached the top of his pants and gave them a tug.

He gave her a wry grin. "Patience is a virtue, Clara," he said, his voice threaded with longing and desire.

"Not tonight it isn't," she said as she undid the clasp and pulled his erection free. He hissed as she gripped him tightly, running her hands up and down his shaft, squeezing him gently and feeling him throb in response.

"Doctor, I need you. Now. Please." She met his eyes and more passed between them in that one gazing instant than in the entire accumulation of their time together. With her back still against the wall she guided him into her, her slick folds sheathing his length with exquisite heat. Her body was more than ready for him. With one hand he gripped her hip, keeping her pinned against the wall while running his fingers through her hair with his other hand, gripping a fistful of it and keeping her head in place and her gaze on him as he slid the rest of the way inside, fucking her against the wall.

She had pictured this moment and what it would be like countless times ever since she first started traveling with the Doctor. She had imagined a slow, sweet coupling. A soft and gentle sexual encounter , full of shy admissions and whispered longings.

It was none of those things.

It was fierce and exhilarating and powerful; full of passion that she didn't even know she had.

And it was exactly what she needed, what she wanted.

He moved in and out of her slowly. She closed her eyes and delighted in the sensation of the way his hard member filled her so completely. And yet she could tell that he was holding back. His body almost seemed to him with pent up energy, and she could tell it was talking a huge effort as he held back.

"It's okay, Doctor," she leaned forward slightly as she panted to him, "Don't hold back. Please?"

A shudder went through him and his grip on her tightened and his pace quickened. She gasped as every sensation seemed to grow in scale and scope and she was a writhing mass of thrusting pleasure. It was almost impossible to discern where she ended and he began, and vice versa. He removed his hand from her hair and placed it on her other hip as he pounded himself in and out of her.

She could tell he was close. So close.

That knowledge filled her to the brim with a sweet ache and triggered her own orgasm. She felt herself clench onto his cock even tighter as they came together; pure unadulterated bliss.

It was sensation and motion and emotions heightened and deepened.

It was everything.

It was perfect.

We didn't even make it to the bed," she said, sounding amused and slightly proud as she ran a shaky hand through her mussed hair.

"There'll be plenty of time for beds later," he said gruffly.

"Will there?" she asked, trying to keep the hopeful tone from her voice.

He surprised her by kissing her forehead. "Of course there will be Clara. Now that I've got you do you really think I'm going to let you go?"

A warm, almost liquid happiness melted through her. "Oh Doctor."

He raised an eyebrow. "No, no, now is not really the time for fawning."

The exuberant expression was wiped off of her face almost immediately. "I am not _fawning_!

He glanced out the window. "We've only got a few short hours before sunup. You should get as much rest as you can. I need you in tip top shape this morning when we go and investigate what our Silurian friends are up to."

Despite herself, she smiled. "I suppose that hasn't changed."

He smiled back at her. "No, and I don't suppose it ever will."

They stood in silence for a moment, just looking at each other and remembering a time not that long ago, when they had said the same thing to each other. When they were still getting to know one another. When their relationship was still unsure and uncertain.

Clara slipped off her skirt, since it was the only non-tattered article of clothing left and was pretty much useless on its own, and slid under the covers.

The last thing she remembered before falling into the first peaceful slumber she had had in a long time was the feel of the Doctor climbing into bed next to her, and the touch of his hand as his fingers gently intertwined with hers.

~*~To be continued


End file.
